Property management questions, answered

Real Property Management Gold manages residential property of any type, including single-family homes, townhomes and condos. For multiplexes and multifamily units, contact the office at (301) 392-2172 so the team can give you a custom quote.

The office manages single-family homes in the Tri-County Southern Maryland area of St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert counties. The Lexington Park or Waldorf team handles your home depending on where it sits. The about page lists the team by office and role.

The office serves all of Southern Maryland: St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert counties. Its area pages also cover Southern Prince George's County. The Lexington Park office serves St. Mary's and Calvert counties. The Waldorf office serves Charles and Southern Prince George's counties.

Real Property Management Gold is one of the few full-service property companies that focuses exclusively on property management. Almost all of our competitors are traditional real estate brokerages that happen to have a property management presence. At Real Property Management Gold, we don't engage in buy/sell real estate of any kind and as such, you get the benefit of 100% of our focus . . . every single day! For tenant placement, we provide elaborate marketing campaigns to get your property maximum rental exposure. In addition, we run nationwide criminal and credit background checks as well as income/employment verification on every prospective tenant to make sure we are finding you a qualified renter. Beyond that, we sign the lease with the tenant, enforce the lease, collect rents, rapidly disburse rental proceeds to our owners via electronic transfer or check, and aggressively chase down rent when tenants don't pay on time. We also inspect your property multiple times annually on an interior and exterior basis to ensure the property is being properly taken care of by the tenants. In addition, we have in-house maintenance solutions to address any maintenance issues that may arise and we are the only company that also allows our owners to coordinate their own maintenance if they choose. Lastly, in the unlikely event of an eviction, we have a state-of-the-art Eviction Protection Plan that covers eviction costs for you.

Real Property Management Gold has the most simplistic and cost-effective fee structure in the marketplace. Our monthly management fee to manage your property 24x7x365 is a small percentage of the gross rents collected. Tenant placement is 6.9% of the 1-year lease total, charged once after the tenant moves in. There is no placement fee if you take over an existing tenant. Management plans are Silver 8.9%, Gold 10.9% and Platinum 12.9% of monthly rent. Periodic inspections cost $199. See the fees page for details.

Ultimately, the market determines the rental amount for your property and it is our job to provide you with good, reliable market information regarding market rent rates. As such, we will always recommend market pricing to you but we allow our clients to choose the price point. A free assessment gives you a number for your own home.

Homes that are market-ready and priced at market rates rent faster. Homes that are not ready or are priced above market can take considerably longer. The Gold and Platinum plans include this promise: 'If we don't rent your property in 29 days or less, you do not pay a management fee for the first month.'

Owners pay for repairs unless the tenant caused damage or was negligent. The office holds a maintenance reserve in an escrow account so repairs move quickly. Repairs above the reserve need your authorization. We always get multiple bids on big projects and have a trusted list of local contractors.

If you are looking for the best value in residential property management, you have found it! With a service offering that is as comprehensive as any in the market combined with the most cost-effective solution you will find anywhere, moving forward with Real Property Management Gold is a decision you, and your checkbook, will thank you for! We are a property management specialist with no sales business competing for our time. Fees are published, with three plans and a one-time placement fee. The Gold and Platinum plans include the 29-day promise and a 365-day tenant replacement promise. Read the fees page and ask for an assessment.

Call the office at 301-392-2172 or browse our Landlord Learning Center, where we have over 200 articles and videos about Southern Maryland Rental Properties and Property Management Services. You can also use the contact form and a team member will reply.

It varies by company and plan. Real Property Management Gold says the standard for full-service management in the Southern Maryland market is around 10% of monthly rent, and its plans range from 8.9% to 12.9%. A leasing fee is often one month's rent, while its placement fee is 6.9% of the lease total.

A leasing fee, also called a tenant placement fee, is a one-time charge for marketing, showing, screening and placing a tenant. A management fee is a monthly percentage of rent for daily operations. Real Property Management Gold charges 6.9% of the 1-year lease total for placement, and 8.9% to 12.9% monthly for management.

It depends on your time, your skills and your risk. Self-managing means marketing the home, screening tenants, collecting rent, answering repair calls and following Maryland law yourself. A manager does that for a fee. Compare your hours and any vacancy or legal costs with the fee before you decide.

A manager markets the home, shows it, screens applicants, signs the lease, collects rent, pays the owner, coordinates repairs, inspects the property and keeps the books. At Real Property Management Gold, the plans add inspections, tenant replacement promises and, on Platinum, protections described on the fees page.

An agent usually helps you buy, sell or list a home. A property manager runs a rental day to day: tenants, rent, repairs and records. Real Property Management Gold says it does not buy or sell real estate of any kind, so its focus is property management.

Weigh what the home could rent for, your mortgage and costs, how long it may sit empty, repairs and your long-term plans. If you later sell a rented home, Maryland rules on a tenant's chance to offer to buy may apply. Ask for a free rent assessment before choosing.

It is a franchise office of Real Property Management, independently owned and operated and part of Neighborly, and has served Southern Maryland since 2015. It has a Better Business Bureau profile and a St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce member profile, and lists awards. Read the reviews yourself.

Under Maryland Real Property § 8-203(b), a landlord may not impose a security deposit above the equivalent of one month's rent per dwelling unit, regardless of the number of tenants. The statute lists limited exceptions. A tenant can recover up to three times an excess deposit plus attorney's fees.

Within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit with simple interest, less damages rightfully withheld (§ 8-203(e)). A landlord who withholds without a reasonable basis may owe up to three times the withheld amount, plus attorney's fees.

Yes, on deposits of $50 or more. Simple interest accrues at the daily U.S. Treasury yield curve rate for 1 year, as of the first business day of each year, or 1.5% a year, whichever is greater (§ 8-203). It is returned with the deposit.

Maryland defines a security deposit as any payment given to protect the landlord against nonpayment or damage, and caps it at one month's rent, so a pet deposit likely counts toward that cap. Ask a Maryland attorney about your case. Real Property Management Gold charges $50 per month per approved pet and takes no pet deposit.

State law sets notice rules: at least 90 days for tenancies longer than a month (§ 8-209). Some counties set limits. Real Property Management Gold's fee disclosure cites a Prince George's County cap of 6% a year or CPI-U plus 3%, whichever is lower. Check your lease and county.

For tenancies for a term of more than one month, at least 90 days in advance of the rent increase (Real Property § 8-209). Check the lease and the statute because the notice rules depend on the type of tenancy. See the Maryland rent increase guide.

A lease may not charge a late penalty above 5% of the unpaid rent for the rental period in which the payment was late (Real Property § 8-208(d)(3)). Real Property Management Gold's fee disclosure sets a 5% fee on the 6th day, after a 5 day grace period.

For unpaid rent, the landlord gives written notice, waits through the cure period, then files a complaint in District Court. After a hearing and a judgment, only a court-ordered warrant of restitution can lead to removal. Steps differ for other reasons, such as lease violations or holding over.

There is no single timeline. The first step is a written notice and a 10 day cure period for unpaid rent (§ 8-401), then court filing, hearing, judgment and enforcement. Each step depends on court calendars and the facts. Ask the Maryland courts or an attorney about current timing.

Before filing, the landlord must give the tenant written notice of intent to file a claim in District Court to recover possession if the tenant does not cure within 10 days after the notice is provided (Real Property § 8-401(c)).

Your lease sets access and notice terms, so read it first. Real Property Management Gold's tenant fee disclosure refers to access 'after proper notice' and may charge $100 if a tenant denies access after proper notice. For the state rule, ask an attorney or the People's Law Library.

Usually only under the lease or a legal right, such as the federal protection for service members. Real Property Management Gold's lease addendum says rent stays due until the home is re-rented or the term ends, plus reasonable re-leasing costs, with no charge if you find an approved replacement tenant first.

It is House Bill 693, Chapter 124 of 2024, a Maryland law that changed several landlord-tenant rules, including limiting the maximum security deposit to one month's rent. It also set up the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs. Parts took effect October 1, 2024 and October 1, 2025.

Yes. Under state law, landlords must attach a copy of the current Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights to every lease. A landlord may not edit or modify the version that the Department of Housing and Community Development publishes in any way.

Fees over $25 charged to applicants must be returned except for amounts actually spent. The Fair Chance Housing Act sets a process for criminal history screening and bars required drug or alcohol testing. A voucher cannot be a reason to refuse. Real Property Management Gold does an individualized review of criminal records.

No, not for the voucher. Maryland bars refusing a tenant who pays with an income-based housing subsidy on grounds of income or credit tied to that subsidy. Real Property Management Gold welcomes vouchers, asks for the signed HUD-52517 form, and requires the authorized amount to equal or exceed the rent.

For a rental with three or fewer dwelling units, the owner must send each tenant written notice of the tenant's right to deliver an offer to buy before offering the property for sale to the public or a third party (§ 8-119). Ask an attorney about the exact steps and exceptions.

Yes, for rental homes built before 1978 unless certified lead-free. Owners register with the Maryland Department of the Environment, renew by December 31 with a $30 fee per unit, and provide valid lead inspection certificates at each tenant turnover. Check MDE for current fees.

Not countywide today as of October 2026. Charles County's proposed program is set to begin July 1, 2027 if adopted, at $107 a year. The towns of La Plata and Indian Head license separately. St. Mary's and Calvert counties have no county license.

Your lease decides, so read it. Real Property Management Gold's Resident Benefits Package offers renters insurance through AppFolio's FolioGuard program, which helps meet lease requirements. Real Property Management Gold is not a licensed insurance broker. Please refer to the insurance policy for coverage information.

Yes, under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. The service member gives written notice and a copy of the military orders. For monthly rent, the lease ends 30 days after the next rent payment is due. Keep copies of everything you send.

It is lease language that lets a service member end the lease early on PCS or deployment orders. The federal SCRA gives similar rights, and Military OneSource warns that legally waiving those rights could mean penalties if you get orders. Read the clause before signing.

Basic Allowance for Housing is a monthly allowance that depends on rank, dependent status and location. Use the Department of Defense BAH calculator for the Patuxent River area, then compare that number with the rent and the 3 times rent income rule on the listing.

If a landlord requires fees from a prospective tenant that exceed $25, the landlord must return them, except amounts actually spent on screening, or owe twice the fees in damages (§ 8-213). Real Property Management Gold's disclosure itemizes its screening costs.

Give written notice as your lease requires, remove all belongings, clean the home fully, return all keys and any garage door remote to the office, give a forwarding address and schedule the move-out inspection. The inspection happens only after belongings are out and the home is clean.